Andrew Smith Named Senior CLASS Award Candidate

Senior Andrew Smith

Nov 02, 2012

INDIANAPOLIS, IND. -- Butler center Andrew Smith is one of 30 men's basketball players selected as candidates for the 2012-13 Senior CLASS Award. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence - community, classroom, character and competition.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

Smith, Butler's leading scorer a year ago, has started 68 of Butler's last 70 games, including both of the Bulldogs' contests at the 2011 Final Four. The 6-11 center averaged 10.9 points last year, while helping Butler to a 22-15 campaign and the semifinals of the College Basketball Invitational, and he enters his final collegiate season in sixth place on Butler's all-time list for field goal shooting. He's an honor student majoring in finance, and he's been active in a number of community service events as a member of the Butler basketball team.

The selection of Smith marks the third consecutive year that Butler has had a player considered for the Senior CLASS Award. Butler's Matt Howard was one of ten finalists for the award in 2010-11, while Ronald Nored was a finalist for last year's award.

The candidate class will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, and those names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select on finalist who best exemplifies excellence in the four C's of community, classroom, character and competition.

The men's Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2013 NCAA Final Four in Atlanta, Ga., April 6 and 8.